There are a bunch of encouraging things that I think I could say about this game, but it’s hard to even want to say encouraging things like that when a team has lost eight of nine. The Pirates had a good April by avoiding stretches like this. That was easier to do against the schedule they faced in April and like most other years, we’re floundering now that we’re playing the NL Central again. Do you ever get the feeling that the Pirates could have the most talented team in the National League, and still not be able to beat the NL Central? Because I do.

The encouraging things that I spoke of earlier actually aren’t things. It’s more of a singular thing. Zach Duke didn’t really have his best stuff tonight, but instead of getting lit up for 9 hits and six runs in four innings, he actually managed to hold it together and keep the Pirates in the game. Allowing four runs in 5 2/3 innings is nothing to write home about, but at least it kept us in the game.

About Pat Lackey

In 2005, I started a WHYGAVS instead of working on organic chemistry homework. Many years later, I've written about baseball and the Pirates for a number of sites all across the internet, but WHYGAVS is still my home. I still haven't finished that O-Chem homework, though.